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Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework
Published on: July 24, 2016
Effective protection of open space: does planning matter?
Toddi A Steelman1, George R Hess
1Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8008, USA. toddi_steelman@ncsu.edu
Environmental Management
|February 17, 2009
Summary
High-quality land use plans do not guarantee successful open space protection. Building relationships among stakeholders is more critical for achieving conservation goals than plan quality alone.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Planning
- Conservation Science
- Public Administration
Background:
- High-quality land use plans are often used as a measure of success in plan implementation and goal achievement.
- Open space planning is critical for natural resource protection and achieving conservation goals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between the quality of open space plans and their implementation success and goal attainment.
- To investigate the role of stakeholder involvement in open space planning and implementation.
Main Methods:
- Modified a standard plan evaluation matrix to assess open space plan quality.
- Developed and administered an online survey to open space planners to measure plan implementation and goal attainment.
- Focused the study on open space plans with natural resource protection elements in the Research Triangle, North Carolina.
Main Results:
- Plan quality was not significantly related to success in implementation or goal attainment.
- The timing and manner of stakeholder involvement in planning and implementation processes were highlighted as important factors.
- The study raised questions regarding the direct relationship between planning and successful implementation.
Conclusions:
- Technically excellent open space plans do not ensure the long-term relationships necessary for meeting land protection goals.
- Balancing attention between the planning process and relationship-building is crucial for successful open space protection.
- Effective land conservation may depend more on collaborative networks than on plan design alone.
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